Safety, Freedom, and Finance: Analysis Through Literature

One can argue that the average man wants to be safe, instead of free, according to essayist and social critic H.L. Mencken. However, it can be seen that this is only true in the case that the safety refers to one’s monetary situation. This would indicate that even when one is free, if they are not in a comfortable monetary situation, they will not feel safe and/or satisfied with their life and/or themselves. This can be seen in the novella Ghosts by Paul Auster, the Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and throughout history.

In reference to Ghosts, a novella by Paul Auster, Blue had constantly been in a dangerous situation, but he never was able to realize it till it confronted him directly. This can be attributed to only one thing, the safety that was provided through his salary. It is clearly described that Blue was put into a very good financial situation by White/Black. In the early workings of the novella when Blue had just begun to describe his occupation and situation, it was seen that he constantly described the financial situation that accompanied the case. A closet full of clothes tailored to his exact size, along with a fully furnished apartment, and even an advance of 500 dollars in cash accompanying it all. Although he had to do his job by investigating Black, Blue was basically given all the freedom he could ever wish for. No instructions on what, where, or how he needed to get the information, he was left with all the freedom one could ask for. Yet, to him this was a daunting task; it put him in an uncomfortable situation that he had never asked for. Blue had even started asking help from his mentor Brown. Given all the freedom and all the tools he could’ve asked for, Blue still felt unsure of the case and began questioning it, creating his own realities of what the motivation could’ve been. In such circumstances, no person would bear to follow through with the mind numbing mess he inherited through white. The only reason he stayed with the case for the numerous years that it ran, was because he felt financially safe. Given all the freedom in the world to do what he pleases, Blue has misgivings about the case, but the financial safety makes him cling on, as the average man wants to be financially safe, not free.

In addition to Ghosts by Paul Auster, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald exhibits the same aspect of human nature through Jay Gatsby. It can be seen that a poor Gatsby, unable to pursue his dream of marrying Daisy, was able to live his life freely. He, presumably, had nothing to worry about as a poor farmer’s son. Yet, for him, he was never remotely satisfied with himself until he was financially stable. To him, money meant absolutely everything. Even as a child, he wished to be rich and successful. He even went to the extent of becoming a bootlegger, in order to become financially stable. Although some might argue that he only wanted money to lure Daisy into marriage, it can be seen that even at a young age, before he met Daisy, he was driven to become rich. This can be seen through his to-do list that he created as a young boy. From The Great Gatsby, the answer to why safety in general compared to financial safety is wanted by the average man can be seen through Jay Gatsby as well. Although he risks jail time by becoming a bootlegger, therefore compromising his safety, it can be seen that he valued his financial safety more than his personal safety.

Lastly, the fact that the average man wants financial safety over freedom can be seen through history, more specifically the American revolution. It is common belief that Americans that fought in the revolutionary war had been inspired by the prospect of freedom. However, Americans at the time had the most freedom they could possibly have, as the reason most Americans actually came to America was to avoid persecution in England. Thus, if Americans had all the freedom that they had desired, then why did they decide to start the revolutionary war? The answer can be seen through financial security. An increase in taxes, as well as a lack of representation to determine the rise in taxes, can be seen to be the main reasons why Americans began to revolt. The breach of their financial security set off an eventual break from England, even though they were both safe from other countries and free to do whatever they pleased. From the aforementioned examples it can be seen that the average man wants financial safety, instead of freedom.